[quote="rpspeck"][color=black]Arianespace Inc. (the US office, (202) 628-3936). told me today that "Ariane no longer offers the Auxiliary Payload service, although they are considering offering it again in the future."

Scrub these attractive ideas (for now). Apparently Ariane is willing to give up on future space markets and focus on their â€œBigâ€

ASAP-S is being designed specifically for Arianespaceâ€™s use on Soyuz flights from Europeâ€™s Spaceport, and has external positions for 4 micro-satellites, along with volume inside the center structure for a fifth payload. The ASAP-Sâ€™ external configuration accommodates spacecraft weighing up to 200 kg., while the internal position is designed to accept a payload with a maximum mass of 400 kg.

_________________"The hardest hurdle to space isn't the technicalities and money. But rather, the courage and the will to do it." - Burt Rutan.